a controversial manmade superfish that can grow three times faster than nature's version. can they soon end up on america's dinner tables? our reporter travels to the secret testing facility like no other. plus, speed racers. million-equipment. breakneck speed. and a crew of elite athletes fighting for glory. we take you inside sailing's high-octane makeover. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 4th, 2012. and good evening. i'm cynthia mcfadden. tonight, we begin with the murder trial illustrating that luck can be a fickle thing indeed. when a florida man won a multimillion-dollar lottery jackpot, he didn't realize he may well have been setting off a bizarre chain of events that would end with his murder.

here's abc's linsey davis for our series, "crime and punishment." >> reporter: abraham shakespeare probably thought he was the luckiest man in the world when he won $30 million in the florida lottery in november of 2006. but his luck would change in a horrific way. and now, this woman, doris dee dee moore, is on trial for his murder. moore sobbed in court today, after jurors listened to audio recordings of her allegedly agreeing to a scheme in which another man would take the blame for shakespeare's death. it was the latest bombshell in a scandalous trial. >> there was a person he knew who was willing to take the rap for his disappearance, for what i think reports say is about $50,000. >> reporter: shakespeare went from washing dishes and working garbage trucks in lakeland, florida, a suburb of tampa, to what he thought was the good life. but that quick pick ticket

quickly turned his life upside down. >> i really would like my old life back, where i could walk the streets, like a normal person. >> reporter: he spent most of the money paying off mortgages for family, friends and some complete strangers. many new friends came into shakespeare's life, including moore, who offered to help manage his money. in this home video, you can hear her asking him about his situation. >> you get tired of people asking you for money all the time? >> they don't take no for an answer. >> reporter: three years later, the money had all but disappeared. and then, shakespeare did, too. he was last seen in april of 2009. but wasn't reported missing until november, when "nightline" spoke to the sheriff investigating the case. >> where is abraham shakespeare? >> we have no idea where abraham shakespeare is. >> reporter: on january 28th, 2010, police found shakespeare's body underneath a concrete slab, buried in the backyard of dee dee moore.

>> you know, i'm not the one who shot him. i wouldn't hurt him. >> then who did, deedee? tell us. >> reporter: moore's maintained all along she's innocent. but the 40-year-old is now charged with first-degree murder, facing a mandatory sentence of life in prison. prosecutors paint a picture of moore as a conniving manipulator. intent on taking shakespeare's cash. first, she tried to convince shakespeare's mother, elizabeth walker, that her son was still alive. just missing. orchestrating a phone call with someone claiming to be her son. >> he said, it's abraham. and i said, you don't sound like abraham. >> reporter: then, her ex-husband, james, testified he dug a hole with a backhoe and covered it up at his former wife's request. >> pay attention to what was in the hole? >> no, sir. >> before you filled it? >> no, sir. >> reporter: but the prosecution's star witness is greg smith, turned police informant. in secretly taped conversations, moore is heard spinning an

elaborate web of lies. yesterday, smith describes the pains moore allegedly took to write a letter to shakespeare's mother, as if it was her son, who happened to be illiterate. it started with, "i'm gone." >> don't worry about dee. if she goes to jail, she will be okay. the charges won't stick. >> reporter: today, the tape where she allegedly agreed to the scheme where another man would take the blame. >> he can cop a deal. >> even if you cop a deal it's going to be on him. >> reporter: and perhaps, the most incriminating exchange, smith testified she drew pictures for him of how to find shakespeare's body. telling him to get rid of it and burn it. >> she wanted me to burn the body. i had to give her, during that time, a list, also, of kerosene, and a water trough, such as you would give cattle water in, for

me to be able to burn the body. >> reporter: yet another courtroom shocker. detective david clark testified moore got so desperate after he caught her in another lie, she offered to have sex with him. >> she told me she could get a free room at the hard rock casino and would perform sexual acts on me. >> reporter: in one of the secretly recorded conversations with smith, moore told him -- >> i've never done anything like this in my life. >> reporter: she went on to say they would have to write a book about the experience when they turned 80 years old. if the prosecution prevails, she may be writing it from jail. i'm linsey davis for "nightline" in new york. >> what a trial. our thanks to linsey davis. next up, inside the secret place where scientists have created a fast-growing superfish that could be coming to a grocery store near you. [ male announcer ] how can power consumption in china,

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>> announcer: "nightline" continues from new york city, with cynthia mcfadden. we turn now to an exclusive look at a highly controversial food that may soon land in america's supermarkets. it's a breed of fish created by humans, capable of growing up to three times as fast as mother

nature's model. well, fda scientists say it's safe to eat. but would you take a bite? abc's jim avila traveled to a secret location in central america for this "nightline" investigates. >> reporter: deep in the rain forests of panama, in a secret location, behind padlocked gates, barbedwire fences, and over a rickety wooden bridge, grows what could be the most-debated food product of our time. shades of "jurassic park" this is a freshwater farm, altering the genes, not of dinosaurs. but growing a new dna-altered saltwater fish. in the mountains, far from the sea, a salmon that could be the first genetically all teared animal protein approved for the world to eat. a landmark change for human food. critics call them frankenfish. >> the idea of changing an animal farm is creepy.

when you move the dna of a species into another species, you create a new life form that's so new and so unique you can get a patent for it. >> reporter: until now, aqua bounty, the multi national company that for ten years has been developing this fish, has been keeping it under close wraps. the press has never been invited to its fish farm location in panama, kept secret out of fear of sabotage. "nightline" is the first to see up close and taste this mysterious fish fda scientists say is safe for americans to eat but has yet to officially approve. >> this is the ft. knox for fish. >> reporter: entry to both facilities begins with body suits and iodine baths for shoes, to keep the fish safe from our germs. how many times do outsiders come into this facility? >> we've not given tours in this facility for more than four years. >> reporter: inside these productive tanks, america gets its first up-close look at the final product.

the fish that has had the food police up in arms. when you look at these fish and hear the word frankenfish, what goes through your mind? >> it's infuriating. >> reporter: the big difference is visual. the small fish in the right hand is a normal-sized, 1-year-old atlantic salmon. the second-most popular seafood in america. its big brother, in the other hand -- we do mean big -- is the same age but at least three times larger. >> they differ by a single gene. >> reporter: it's that single gene change that makes the dna-altered salmon grow much faster than a normal salmon. in reality, it's three fish in one. aquabounty scientists have taken a growth gene from the chinook salmon and inserted it into the dna of the atlantic salmon. chinooks grow fast from birth, atlantics do not. >> salmon, in their first two years of life grow slowly. >> reporter: there's another alteration. a growth switch from a sea eel

was inserted into the atlantic salmon dna. natural salmon only grow in summer. the eel grows all year long. the growses at top speed from birth. >> yep. you get the market size in 12 months before any salmon out there. >> reporter: aquabounty say the fish are ready for market. and wants the fda to approve the aqua-advantage salmon for american dinner plates. already, 80% of our corn, soybeans and sugar beets are genetically altered. but until now, never meat. >> it's a whole other section of the grocery store for this technology which we think is still not fully understood. >> reporter: sensitive to criticism that these fish could escape into the wild and wipe out natural salmon, aquabounty is anxious to show what it says are 16 redundant safety nets to keep their fish inside. >> we've been operating this facility for more than 20 years. and we've never lost a fish. >> reporter: another safeguard? the superfish are sterile. >> these fish can't transmit

their genetic information to a subsequent generation, they're incapable of breeding. >> reporter: despite the resemblance to dr. john hamman in "jurassic park." where dna experiments went tragically awry. >> don't you see the danger inherent in what you're doing here? genetic power is the most awesome force the planet's ever seen. >> reporter: he assures us nothing can go wrong with this fish, altered by science to grow and get to market faster. >> this fish is identical in every measurable way. >> reporter: have we gone too far? >> i wouldn't want to eat this fish, unless it's gone through a proper approval process. >> reporter: critics say the fda scientists didn't do enough independent work and used company data to come to its safety conclusions. some of which tested only six fish. >> that kind of science wouldn't make it past a high school science fair. >> reporter: is this something i should be afraid of? >> you eat dna every time you swallow. you consume dna with every food you eat.

>> reporter: altered dna? >> the gene comes from the chinook salmon. pacific salmon. that protein is identical to the same protein that's produced by the atlantic salmon. >> reporter: and nothing's going to happen to me or my children if they eat this fish? >> it will make you healthier. man has been altering the nature of animals since man walked upright and began domesticating animals. the beef that we consume, the pork that we consume today, don't resemble their early ancestors at all. two days ago, this fish was swimming in the tank. >> reporter: if there is a difference, it's not in the flavor. same texture. eating frankenfish. >> don't use that term. >> reporter: science fiction meets reality. food created in a lab. and a small company based in canada, hoping the fda will ignore the obvious stereotype and allow it on american dinner plates. for "nightline," i'm jim avila in panama. >> we shall see.

thanks, jim avila. just ahead, high-speed races featuring rugged athletes. these aren't your grandpa's sailboats. what happens when sailing goes hardcore. [ male announcer ] you've reached the age where you don't back down from a challenge. this is the age of knowing how to make things happen. so, why let erectile dysfunction get in your way? talk to your doctor about viagra. 20 million men already have. ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. this is the age of taking action. viagra. talk to your doctor.

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when you think superhigh speed competitions with teams of brawny athletes, you probably don't think sailboats. but the genteel sport is getting a makeover. and abc's own thrill-seeker, nick watt, went along for the ride. >> reporter: sailing, but not as we knew it.

a gigantic catamaran, in san francisco bay sailing too close to the wind. the most advanced yacht on earth, capsizing this fall. on these boats, that's not even a sail. it's a carbon fiber wing. and the sailors, well, they're gymed-out beefcakes, suited up like football players. >> it's not always putting on blazers and sitting on the side with a gin and tonic. >> reporter: that's what i thought. rich, portly men, with one hand on the tiller and a faceoff, for a hunk of silver, called the americas cup. then, i went out as a guest racer with jimmy spizle, a no-nonsense aussie. he won it for the u.s. in 2010.

these catamarans can fly nearly 50 miles per hour. it is terrifying. sailing has finally entered the 21st century, fueled by larry ellison's billions and a band of young, brash athletes. sailing is now getting the fans that flock to nascar. >> you can see what's happening on the water. you can capsize these boats. you can crash them hard. these boats are pushing hard. you push too hard, it can be catastrophic. >> reporter: he also flipped during a americas cup series race here in the bay. >> got tight-knit turns. every man for himself survival. all you care about is yourself. and you're fighting each other for the best hand hold. >> reporter: his team, by the way, are in a hangar on the dock, 7:00 a.m. every morning, working out. >> play ice hockey. play some american football.

>> running, grinding, pulling ropes. >> reporter: i thought sailing was kind of -- >> on the coast at sunset. no. >> reporter: they're sailing twice as fast as those mono-hauled racing yachts of not so long ago. >> we strap heart rate monitors on the guys. and it looks like a couple of guys having heart attacks. >> reporter: what is the angle that becomes dangerous when you flip over? it depends. but i avoided the fate of another guest, olympian mike johnson. >> there's real risk now. and i think people like that. as an audience, they like to see a little bit of risk. if you're not getting close to capsizing, you're probably not pushing hard enough. >> reporter: next year, spizle will defend the americas cup here in home waters. are there old traditionalists, wearing the blazers, who look at you and think, disgusting? >> no question. no question. and, look. like i said, i put nothing

against those guys. you know? but respect. the fact is, though, this is the way forward. >> reporter: and it is rather exciting. are you pushing it yet? or is this -- just cruising? i'm nick watt for "nightline," on san francisco bay. >> well, thanks to you, nick watt. and thank you for watching abc news. "good morning america" will be waiting for you right here in the morning. we're always online at abcnews.com. good night, america. jimmy kimmel, right here, next. tonight on jimmy kimmel live. david letterman. >> what can i do for you? that you haven't been able to do for yourself? >> live with me for a month. >> jimmy at a brooklyn barbershop. >> what do you think of mitt romney's hair? >> i don't like it. >> look at you. >> and music from vampire weekend. >> do you like carrots? >> no. >> you don't?